Drawing the Cottage Bath

Kim Scholl wanted her bathroom to reflect her family’s relaxed Up North lifestyle and to echo the circa-1900 summer homes that surround her Petoskey neighborhood. When she sketched out her ideas with kitchen and bath designer Dawn Whyte of Lake Street Design Studio, the result was classic cottage.

The vanityAfter Whyte drew legs on the sketch of the vanity to make it look like a piece of antique furniture rather than just a cabinet, Scholl knew they were honing in on the right look. The pair decided on a model from the StarMark Custom series. The tapered feet and maple Milan doors are so clean-lined and honest, the piece might have been hand-built in Northern Michigan a century ago. With "his" and "her" sections and a nook in the middle for sitting and doing makeup, the vanity precisely matches the look and function Scholl desired. The creamy Durango limestone countertops have a honed finish. The sinks are Ladena undercounter by Kohler. The distressed glass knobs are from Anthropologie.

The mirrorsAn artist friend gave Scholl picture frames for the mirrors. "They are ornate, and I liked the contrast with the simplicity of the rest of the room," she says. Scholl painted the frames black gloss, then had Skip’s Petoskey Glass install the mirrors.

The floorCream and white polished marble mosaic tiles are a classic foundation for a cottage bathroom. The light marble is Botticino, the dark marble is Nero Marquinia and the pattern is Canestro by Artistic Tile, from Tilestone Imports in Traverse City. In-floor radiant heat keeps the marble warm in winter.

The faucetsScholl used chrome-finished Delta Victorian faucets throughout her home because she likes their genteel, old-fashioned feel. The sink faucets are Delta Victorian Widespread. The tub faucet is Delta Victorian Roman Tub.